The emergency and medical services at the Delhi government's biggest medical institute, Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) and its associated hospitals will stay shut on Wednesday after two doctors were thrashed by a patient's attendants.
The incident happened on Tuesday at the MAMC medicine ward where the doctors were assaulted by a patient's attendants. The incident has once again triggered a war between the doctors and the administration.
The resident doctors have decided to go on one-day strike demanding better security services in the hospitals. The OPD and emergency services of Lok Nayak and GB Pant hospital will also be dysfunctional on Wednesday.
"This has become a regular affair. Doctors are being beaten up by the patients and their attendants, and nothing is done to ensure safety and security of the medical practitioners. The emergency services will also be shut on Wednesday. If the government will not take a serious step, the medical services across the Capital will be disrupted," said Dr Vivek Chouksey, president of the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA). The association is an umbrella body working for the welfare of the doctors.
Cases of verbal and physical assault against doctors have been on the rise in the national Capital. A resident doctor was physically assaulted by a patient and her attendant in November last year, after which FORDA, which includes over 20,000 doctors, had announced an indefinite state-wise strike to ask for better security for doctors at the government hospitals.
The strike, which would have seen a closure of all out-patient departments to demand more guards at the hospitals, was canceled later after FORDA received an assurance from Principal Health Secretary that their demands were being looked into.
